(Cottage cheese and edamame on toast with peaches. I wasn't a fan but the kids loved it.)

and orange hot chocolate topped with goblins.

*Spending time with our other family member, Columbus.

*Celebrating our girl Kathleen because we love her so much and glad she's going to stick around a little longer.

*Honoring what little warm weather is left with our Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker.

*Finally taking that 5 month photo and finding it hard to believe I grew my third heart that many months ago.

(His favorite activity--standing.)

*Visiting Enchanted Castles

where Daddy proved that crutches won't stop him from spending good time with his favorite littles.

*Impromptu play dates at the high school soccer field where we discovered a new favorite activity--hill rolling.

*Soccer birthday parties.

*Trying to get used to darker afternoons.

But also appreciating the good that comes with the bad. In this case, darker afternoons means landscapes colored gorgeous hues of burnt orange, sunny yellow and apple red right outside our front door.

*And face paint. Lots of face paint.

The past couple of weeks have been a lot of fun and we're keeping our fingers crossed that Mother Nature is gentle enough to allow for a traditional Halloween. If not, this family may have to extend it into November.

Oh, and in the midst of all of the adventure, one of us started crawling just shy of 6 months.

(Don't be fooled. That's not drool--it's the fuel of determination.)

“But then fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous toosh as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.”

Awesome job beating Sandy, congrats! And congrats to all your tough, determined littles. I saw our Jersey shore took a beating, here's to hoping we get two weeks next year. You have proven Sandy cant stop us. Love